Edo state government has trained health personnel across the state for the upcoming measles vaccination for children.
The training which took place at Auchi Urban Health Centre Hall was presided over by the Director of Primary Health Care(DPHC) Etsako West Local Government Area, Dr. Paul Omoh Isebemhe.
Dr. Paul Omoh Isebemhe noted while admonishing participants that measles vaccination involves injectable, unlike polio vaccination where vaccines are administered orally.
He explained that Measles is a highly contagious, serious disease caused by a virus and is normally spread through direct contact.
Dr. Paul Omoh encouraged participants to be careful and tolerant while carrying out the vaccination exercise as some parents are more careful and sometimes non-compliant or display hesitancy at the service.
Mr. Goodluck I. Uwenuyi, the Health Education/Health Promotion Officer, Etsako West, who was one of the Local Health Authority(LHA) team training participants for the measles campaign, took the participants through the topic: ADVOCACY, COMMUNICATION AND SOCIAL MOBILIZATION (ACSM) module.
He emphasized that the success of the Measles Campaign and the Introduction Of the Rota Virus Vaccine depends on proper Advocacy, Communication And Social Mobilization (ACSM) or Health Education activities carried out.
Mr. Goodluck urged all facility-based health workers to make use of their Village Development Committee (VDC) and Ward Development Committees (WDC) to reach out to their communities.
Also, the Monitoring and Evaluation Officer, Mrs. Kadijat Audu, took the participants through data capturing and data collation using data tools for the measles campaign.
She emphasized that data failure is campaign failure in all ramifications and took the participants through all available and important data tools about the measles campaign and the introduction of the ROTAVIRUS VACCINE into routine immunization during the measles campaign.
The Assistant Disease surveillance and Notification officer, Mr. Stephen Aipoh who also took the participants through Adverse Event Following Immunization (AEFI) stressed that the aim is to ensure all allergies or reactions are properly managed by all teams with the available AEFI KITs and proper documentation and reporting.
Other instructors who took the trainees through various modules, include Mrs. Itakpe Justina and Mr. A.K. Mohammed.
The State Technical Facilitator, Odihi Patience was present to supervise the training.
